Sunset and sunrise are the hardest images to work on in post – contrast issues, color issues, detail issues. My own monitors vary in color quality – I have one that always veers to over-saturation, so I use the other to attempt to reach some semblance of what I saw / see (not see-saw, see?) or want to evoke. The colors on this monitor are more subdued and not overdone, but I always wonder if the results are any good. That’s the problem, I guess, with cheap monitors. And, I am too cheap to replace them . . .

We hiked from the high desert with its low-growing plants into the alpine environment of the eastern Sierra Nevadas in California. Scrub gave way to aspens and pine, and soon we came upon the goal of this hike: a pristine, crystalline lake. If you look closely to the mountain in the “V” you will see the mountain stream and waterfalls which feed into Parker Lake. A two-mile hike at a high altitude (9000 ft?) was worth it all! Click to enlarge!

We spent the last week up in the area of Mammoth Lakes, located on the eastern slope of the Sierras, up Highway 395. Can you believe I have never been up that road?!?

We hiked and ate and took pictures and saw the sites. The weather was superb. We had to adjust from living at 800 feet above sea level to going up to 8000 feet and higher – shortness of breath (SOB!), dry eyes and nose, and so on. We got comfortable at 8000, but moving up, like in walking uphill, became a challenge at times, so we would rest and then continue. This gave for a lot of wonderful opportunities to look around, take in a breath of sage and pine, and snap away.

This view of Mono Lake is from the Parker Lake Trail, and is created from a montage of about 8 images. Click on the image for a bigger version.